News Talk
Today, 94 years ago, Dr Chris Barnard, was born─── 13:35 Tue, 08 Nov 2016
Dr Christiaan Neethling Barnard, the medical practitioner who performed the world’s first successful heart transplant, was born in Beaufort West, Western Cape on 8 November 1922.
Barnard studied medicine at the University of Cape Town. His first practice was at Ceres, also in the Western Cape.
He became famous for leading a team that successfully performed the first heart transplant on a human being.
His brother, Marius Barnard, was one of the people that assisted him in the operation which lasted nine hours and used a team of 30 people.
The patient, Louis Washkansky, was a 54-year-old suffering from diabetes and incurable heart disease.
Barnard died aged 78 while on holiday in Cyprus.
Source: South African History Online
OFM News
